Be Careful When Using Candles
by Wetdry
Summary: Yukari Takara tries to use some specialty candles to become smarter, but this ends disastrously.
1. Chapter 1

[A/N: I'm assuming that Miyuki does have a father, and that he's just on a business trip right now.]

Yukari had just gotten a package from the mail, and she was having trouble opening it.

"Mother, it cannot be that hard to open a box," said Miyuki, who then had some trouble with it herself.

Nonetheless, it was soon open, and Yukari took out the contents.

"Candles?" said Miyuki.

"Not just any candles," said Yukari. "There are special aromatherapy candles. The people who make these claim that having them in the room while lit will help make you smarter."

"I find that difficult to believe." Miyuki headed out the door. "I'm heading out to the Hiiragi shrine."

"See you when you get back." Yukari watched as her daughter left.

Yukari looked through the directions for using the Smarten-Up candles. [A/N: Some people will believe anything.] First she placed the four candles on the living room table, one at each corner. As soon as they were in place, she used a match to light them. Then, the booklet said, she was to stay as close to the candles as possible while they did their work.

Half an hour passed, and Yukari didn't feel any smarter. She took a closer look at the candles to see if she might've done something wrong. She then decided to have Miyuki help her later.

So she began putting out the candles. When she got to the last one, though, she bumped the table, causing the candle to fall off. She picked it up off the floor and put it out, then place it back where it was.

She was about to go to the kitchen when her leg suddenly felt hot. She looked down and saw her skirt was on fire: it must've happened when the candle fell on it.

She tried beating one the flames with her hands, but it had no effect. She tried remembering what she learned about fire safety, but her mind chose the worst possible time to go blank.

Worse yet, with her husband away on business, and her daughter visiting friends, she was by herself.

With the flames no spreading to her shirt, Yukari could only think of one thing. She ran out the door, obviously not taking the time to close it behind her. There was only one place she could think to go right now.

Meanwhile Minami was bored. She had planned on spending the day with Yutaka, only for the latter to call and say she was too sick to come over. She was thinking that maybe she could head over to the Izumi residence instead, except Yutaka might not feel up to having company.

Just then, the door buzzer went nuts. She went over to press the intercom button. "Who is it?"

"HELP! I'M ON FIRE!" replied a familar voice.

She was just about to dismiss this as a juvinile prank when she saw Miyuki's mother just outside the gate, halfway engulfed in flames.

Minami briefly froze, before giving herself a hard slap in order to regain her senses. She ran over to a nearby rug and picked it up. She then ran outside to aid Mrs. Takara.

[A/N: I haven't quite figured out where this story should go next, so if you have any ideas feel free to speak up.] 


	2. Chapter 2

"This study session seems more productive than usual," said Miyuki, who was in Kagami's room.

"Well," Kagami said, "Konata's not hear to waste everyone's time and copy our homework."

Miyuki nodded, having heard of Konata staying home to care for Yutaka.

"I just mades some cookies," said Tsukasa, who was coming into the room.

"I think I'll pass this time around," said Miyuki, who'd just had some cavities filled in. [A/N: A dentist-related comment regarding Miyuki? INCONCEVIABLE!] Just then, the phone rang.

"Moshi moshi," said Miyuki. Her neutral expression soon turned to sadness and horror, though. She put down the phone. "Mother was severely burned in an accident, and has been taken to the hospital."

"That sounds horrible!" said Tsukasa.

"It could've been worse. If Minami hadn't been home, I don't know what Mother would've done."

The following week, Miyuki was driven to the hospital by Mr. Hiiragi. When she got inside she headed to the check-in person. [A/N: Sorry, blanked out on the exact title.]

"I'm Miyuki Takara," she said.

"Here to see Yukari Takara?" said the person. "She's in room 34, on the second floor."

It took some doing, but Miyuki made her way to the specified room.

Meanwhile, in her room, Yukari mentally played back her brush with death. She'd done dumb things before, but she couldn't think of anything to top this. Worse yet, had Minami not been home, Yukari no doubt would've just gone back home and hoped for her daughter, or her husband, to somehow be there in time to save her. Even in the best of times, thinking clearly was not her strong suit.

Worst of all, she found out that the claims that the candles would make her smarter were, in fact, false. To think that she almost died because she believed it...

Miyuki entered the room. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, Mother," she said. "The hospital staff told me you wouldn't be ready for visitors until today."

"It might be a while before I go home," Yukari said.

"Mother, our home's gone. Either the candle itself, or an ember from your burning clothes, set the house on fire. By the time firefighters got the fire out, the building was a total loss."

"Where have you been staying?"

"At the Hiirage residence. We could easily afford to get a new house, but I thought it would be best for me not to live by myself right now." Miyuki took a breath. "Maybe we could find a temporary home until a new house can be built where the old one was."

[A/N: Thank you, Gonstika!]

"I wonder if your father's found out yet..." Yukari said.

"I'd prefer not to speculate on that," Miyuki replied. "Let's just hold that thought until he calls us or comes home."

"I bet you're really upset with me, hurting myself and burning our house down."

"Well... I was, at first. But now all I care about is that your recovery. I'm sure Father will feel the tell you the same when he gets the chance."

"What a mother wouldn't give to have a daughter like you..."

"Well, Mother, I'd like to visit longer, but I should be heading back now."

Miyuki was picked up - this time by Mrs. Hiiragi - and taken back to their house. On her way their, Miyuki realized it might take a while for things to return to normal.

[A/N: Should I continue this?] 


	3. Chapter 3

[A/N: Sorry, I did NOT mean to take this long to write this.]

"I hear your mom's out of the hospital," said Konata.

"She'll be going back in a few weeks," said Miyuki, "to see if anything can be done about her burn scars."

"So, is it true you're now staying at Minami's?"

"After further thought, we felt it would be best to stay in the neighborhood while our house is rebuilt. That, and the Hiiragi residence is somewhat packed as it is." Miyuki briefly paused. "Come to think of it, how's Yutaka doing?"

"Yu-chan?" said Konata. "She's fine now. It turns out some jackass with a cold wasn't wearing a mask, and he sneezed right in her face."

"How horrible!" said Tsukasa.

"It's a shame how some people can be so inconsiderate," said Miyuki.

"Like I said," said Konata, "she's just fine now. She might even be heading over for a visit."

"When I see her, I'll have to warn her against buying those candles."

"I'm sure she already knows," said Konata, with a guilty-as-charged look on her face.

School got out for the day, and Miyuki went back to Minami's place.

"I am mad at you!" yelled Minami's voice from inside the house.

"WAAAAAH! I'm sorry!" said Hiyori, and she ran outside and down the street.

Miyuki went inside. "Would it be out of line to ask what that was about?" she said.

"It's nothing," said Minami. "I just found out about her 'interpretations' of me and Yutaka, and I called her here to confront her about it."

Miyuki heard what Hiyori had drawn. "Does Yutaka know about it?"

"No, and I want to keep it that way. Promise me you won't say anything."

"I promise." Miyuki went into the kitchen to pour herself some juice. "I'm rather surprised at how good of spirits Mother's in, all things considered."

"Being on fire must've been terrifying for her."

"I would imagine," Miyuki said. "The worst part for her, though, seems to be what happened to our house. She had become somewhat attached to that place."

"Your father should be home from work soon."

"When Father got the call about Mother's accident, from what I hear he had a small freak-out. He had to leave the meeting for a few minutes to get some air."

"I can't imagine anyone blaming him," said Minami.

"His boss was somewhat upset that he disrupted the meeting, but he ultimately overlooked it."

While they were still staying at someone else's house, Miyuki and her parents were finally settling back into something resembling their old routine. 


	4. Chapter 4

Eventually, the house was rebuilt and the Takaras were able to move back in.

Miyuki was discussing this issue at school with Konata and Tsukasa.

"So, you're back home, I see," said Konata.

"Oh, yes," said Miyuki. "My parents and I are so relieved to be back under our own roof. Not that we aren't grateful for our temporary residence."

"Something's still bothering you, huh?"

"It's not that. It's just that Mother's burns aren't healing quite as well as she'd like."

Konata grinned. "That just means she has something she can tell stories about!"

"If it's okay," said Tsukasa, "I could come over and bake something, to cheer her up."

"That would be wonderful!" said Miyuki. "It's been a while since we've had anything baked at home without it going wrong."

"Is tomorrow a good time?"

"I'll have to ask, but I'm sure it will be."

The next day, the Takara family was enjoying the goods Tsukasa had baked.

"I have be going now," said Tsukasa.

"Try to get home safely," said Yukari.

"I will see you at school," said Miyuki.

While the treats came as no surprise to Miyuki (her having had them before), her parents couldn't believe someone like Tsukasa could be such a good cook.

Yukari's recovery would take some time, and the scars would never completely go away, but the whole time she was just thankful she was still with her family.

That, and she learned not to take advertising claims at face value.

THE END

[A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I just felt like wrapping this fic up. Also, be sure to check out the rest of my fics!] 


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